Wood-Mode Custom Cabinetry is Going Out of Business

The End of an Industry Leader

Wood-Mode Custom Cabinetry has been around for 77 years. That’s a lot of time to spend building cabinets. Wood-Mode made the high-end manufactured cabinet industry – their name is synonymous with cabinetry, just like Kleenex is to tissues and Jacuzzi is to bathtubs. And that’s why it came as such a sudden shock that Wood-Mode Custom Cabinetry is going out of business. In mid-May this year, Wood-Mode abruptly let go of its employees at its Kreamer, Pennsylvania plant, leaving both employees and customers wondering where things would go from here. Their management has cited financial problems as the primary issue, with a potential deal to buy out the company recently falling through.

At FBS, we are frequently asked about Wood-Mode cabinets, or brands comparable to them. We hear this most commonly from people that are moving to Texas from large cities like New York City or Los Angeles, where Wood-Mode Custom Cabinetry was the default go-to brand for any premium custom homes. And with Wood-Mode going away, that leaves many people in the middle of home planning wondering their course of action. Do you continue with Wood-Mode, with no future support in place? Or do you explore alternatives? What options are even available?

What to do? Well, Luxury and Quality is Still an Option

When most people picture their luxurious dream kitchen, they picture more than just wide spaces and fancy appliances. Elite brands like Sub-Zero Wolf, Gaggenau, Miele, and La Cornue are naturally paired with the best of the best in cabinetry. This has been Wood-Mode’s niche for years. They have been one of the few brands that includes engineering as a part of their cabinet creation – meaning that they can generate solutions for custom requests. The vast majority of cabinet brands don’t provide this option; you get a book of their styles and wood types, and that’s that. But Wood-Mode is not the only luxury cabinet brand available, and they’re not even the brand with the most possibilities. Enter Plato Woodwork, Incorporated.

From Construction to Cabinets – Plato Encompasses 125 Years of Millwork

While they may not have the widespread name recognition, Plato Woodwork, Inc. has been in the industry 50 years longer than Wood-Mode Custom Cabinetry. Their business has not always been strictly cabinets, but their job has always been wood work. Plato got their start as a construction company in 1893, building churches, homes and the like in Plato, Minnesota. They moved on to include lumber, mill work and cabinetry throughout the years. It wasn’t until 1968 that they dedicated themselves solely to custom cabinetry, but ingenuity, quality and a custom product has always been at the core of what they offer. Plato Woodwork has been realizing kitchen dreams ever since, and to this day, their products are still built in the USA.

Your Imagination is the Beginning of their Creation

Plato Woodworks can take your dreams and make them a reality. Their portfolio of styles is vast and the options are endless. Anytime Plato creates something new for a customer, they meticulously document the design as an option for future customers. There’s a good chance that the idea you’ve been dreaming up for your kitchen may have already been put into action by Plato.

Plato Personalized Custom

Let’s say you’ve traveled abroad and happened upon the most exquisite furniture and finishes, and you want to make one your own. African Mahogany. Brazilian Cherry. Burmese Teak. If you’ve seen it, Plato can get it and make it happen through their SelectWoods program. Then you can finalize it with one of their many paint or wood finish options, or even have them create something one of a kind and unique just for you. With Plato’s “Personalized Custom” line, the only limit is your imagination.

Inovae

Inovae is Plato’s premiere frameless cabinet line. They have a wide variety of wood styles and finishes, as well as all the industry’s leading special material options like composite veneers and plastic laminates. If your kitchen plan includes flush appliance installs and you desire an overall seamless look, then this is the line for you.

Prelude

If you want the best of the best, but you’re not looking to reinvent the wheel, then look no further than Prelude. This semi-custom cabinetry line will make you rethink run of the mill cabinetry options. Plato doesn’t skimp on the options here. This product line still includes the same wood standards and finish quality that you see in Plato’s other lines and utilizes most cabinetry options available on the market. In Prelude, Plato provides exceptional quality without breaking the budget.

Commitment to Longevity – in both Product and Environment

Cabinets are not a throwaway part of the kitchen. They’re not something you ever look to replace, excluding a full kitchen remodel, and in many cases cabinets will be there for the life of the kitchen. That’s why it’s instrumental that a cabinetry brand stands behind it’s product. In this respect, Plato Woodwork, Inc exceeds expecations with a full lifetime limited warranty. This is fully on par with Wood-Mode and makes Plato Woodwork a worthy alternative, considering the passing of that titan.

Plato Woodwork is not just committed to their own product, though – they’re also committed to building it in an environmentally conscious manner. They have received the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association Environmental Stewardship Certification, despite it taking almost as long to earn as it does to say. In essence, this means that Plato is committed to green standards and waste reduction, as well as being fully compliant with chemicals used in their production processes. They understand that the work they do can have an impact on the environment, so they treat it with care.

Seeing is Believing

Despite everything written here, reading about Plato is not enough. True quality must be seen in person. We highly recommend that you stop in at one of our many Texas showrooms, where our experienced cabinetry designers can walk you through ideas and options. We currently have Plato vignettes at our showroom locations in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas/Ft. Worth, and will have a display in our Austin location in the very near future. Paired with premium appliance brands like Gaggenau, Thermador and Subzero-Wolf, let us show you that luxury cabinetry is alive and well with Plato Woodwork, Inc.

We invite you to stop in to any of our showrooms, give us a call, or schedule an appointment. We’ll be more than happy to start creating your dream space!